Curtain Call

The Big Easy Entertainment Awards announced the nominees for theater performances in 2007 and will recognize the winners at an awards gala on Monday, March 24, at Harrah's Casino. This is the 20th anniversary of the Big Easy's theater awards. Special recognition awards will honor career accomplishments and new initiatives. The irrepressible Becky Allen will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She's been one of the city's favorite performers since debuting in West Side Story at Le Petit Theatre in 1966. Since then, she's taken on every imaginable type of role in serious dramas, comedies, musical shows, cabaret and more.

The inaugural Theatre Person of the Year will be presented to playwright John Biguenet. His drama about Hurricane Katrina, Rising Water, debuted at Southern Repertory Theater and became the playhouse's bestselling show ever. The play was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has been produced in several cities in the United States, and a London production is forthcoming. Biguenet also wrote Vulgar Soul, The Torturer's Apprentice: Stories, the novel Oyster and has won numerous awards for his stories, plays and essays. Rising Water drew nominations for Best Original Play, Best Actor and Best Actress in a Drama.

A special Business Recognition Award will go to Stageclick.com founder Marc Fouchi. The Web site has become an online community for actors, directors, producers and other theater professionals to share and find information about auditions, shows, jobs and more.

Le Petit's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas received the most production nominations with eight, including Best Musical, Best Director of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Actress in a Musical. Southern Rep's production of the play Doubt, about possible abuse by a priest, collected seven nominations including Best Drama, Best Director of a Drama and Best Actor and Actress in a Drama. Dem Boys Productions' version of Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's harrowing tale The Pillowman received six nominations. Le Petit's Sugar Babies and NOLA Project and Southern Rep's co-operative production, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, both drew five nominations.

While Le Petit garnered a huge number of nominations for a trio of musicals, the list of nominees represents a large pool of talented actors, actresses, directors and stage designers from across the metro area. Bob Edes Jr. achieved a rare feat by earning nominations for roles in a comedy, drama and musical in the same year. Besides Biguenet's Rising Water, The Breach, also written about Katrina, debuted at Southern Rep and is nominated for Best Original Play.

Roy Haylock, aka Bianca Del Rio, will host the Theatre Awards Gala at Harrah's Theatre. He will be joined by honorary chairpersons Maureen and John 'Spud" McConnell. The awards are sponsored by Gambit Weekly, Harrah's New Orleans Casino and Hotel, John Jay and Coleman Adler & Sons. Tickets to the event are $125. Tables of 10 are $1000 until March 14 and $1250 after. VIP tables are also available. Call 483-3129 for more information.

Among the nominees from the cast of Doubt are Claire Moncrief (Best Actress in a Drama), Jamie Wax (Best Actor in a Drama) and Andrea Franklin (Best Supporting Actress in a Drama).

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Among the eight nominations garnered by The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas are Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Karen Hebert (left) and Jessie Terrebonne.

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Marc Fouchi will receive the Business Recognition Award for creating Stageclick.com.

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Idella Johnson is nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in Purlie.

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The musical Sugar Babies earned five nominations including Best Musical, Best Choreography and Best Costumes. (7 Pajama Game) The Pajama Game featured Carrie Black and Bob Edes Jr. who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in three categories.